Interstate 26 West as
the four-lane freeway enters the state of North Carolina. Two interchanges
are in Polk County; Exit 67 and Exit 59. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West
approaching Exit 67 - North Carolina 108 - 1 mile. U.S. 74 runs just north
of this interchange. Motorists desiring to get to U.S. 74 East must stop
at North Carolina 108 and head straight on the on-ramp back to Interstate
26 west, where along the way, a ramp provides access to the federal
highway. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Use U.S. 74 East and
U.S. 221 North to Rutherfordton, seat of Rutherford County, which is 23
miles to the east. Shelby (pop. 21,275) is 41 miles to the east. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West
approaching Exit 67 - North Carolina 108/TO U.S. 74 East - 1/4 mile. The
Polk County seat, Columbus (pop. 994) is just to the east of this
interchange. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West at
Exit 67 - North Carolina 108/TO U.S. 74 East - Columbus/Tryon. North
Carolina 108 begins 4.1 miles to the southwest at U.S. 176 in Tryon (pop.
1,746) and goes north to North Carolina 9 in Mill Spring before turning
east to U.S. 221 in Rutherfordton. The faster route between Interstate 26
and Rutherfordton is via U.S. 74 East and U.S. 221 North, as U.S. 74 is
all freeway between Interstate 26 and just west of Shelby. (Photo taken
7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 West

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West assurance shields as they begin their duplex. U.S. 74 departs
Interstate 26's duplex in west Asheville for a duplex with Interstate 40
between Asheville and Clyde. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exit 59 - Saluda - 2 miles. Louisiana Avenue connects
Interstate 26 to U.S. 176 in the
city of Saluda.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exit 59 - Saluda - 1 mile. Saluda is known for its
historic Victorian buildings and has been designated a National Historic
District. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

As mentioned above, use
Exit 59 to historic downtown Saluda. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 59 - Saluda. The interstate will enter Henderson County
within two miles. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Just after
entering Henderson County, Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 West enter the Green
River Gorge. The speed limit is set at 55 during the 7% grade. This set of
pictures show some of the scenery in the area. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exit 54 - U.S. 25 South - 1 mile. U.S. 25 is a freeway
between the South Carolina state line and Interstate 26. U.S. 25 will
intersect U.S. 176 in two miles and North Carolina 225 (old U.S. 25) in
three-and-one-half miles. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Exit 53 is the second of
three exits to serve the
city of
Hendersonville (pop. 11,232). Flat Rock is a suburb of Hendersonville
and is the site of the home of famous poet and biographer Carl Sandburg.
For more information on his home, visit its
official National Park
service webpage. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

The skies opened up just
enough to dampen these pictures a bit. This sign indicated that
Hendersonville is accessible via the next three interchanges. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 53 - U.S. 25 South - To U.S. 176 and North Carolina 225. A
trumpet interchange is in place here. U.S. 25 will travel along Interstate
26 until Exit 44. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and
U.S. 74 West and U.S. 25 North

After Exit 53, another
guide sign indicates that the next two exits are for Hendersonville. This
is mainly for those coming from U.S. 25. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West and U.S. 25 North approaching Exit 53 - Upward Road - 1/4 mile.
The east-west arterial connects Business U.S. 25 in Hendersonville to the
community of Upward, located one mile east of the interstate. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West and U.S. 25 North at Exit 53 - Upward Road. (Photo taken
7/7/05)

The next interchange is
a cloverleaf at U.S. 64. The first westbound exit for the federal highway
is Exit 49A, a reversal of the normal procedure. Use Exit 49B (U.S. 64
West) to Brevard College,
located in the Transylvania County seat of the same name. A 23 mile drive
separates the interstate from Brevard. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West and U.S. 25 North at Exit 49A - U.S. 64 East - Bat Cave. The
community with a name seemingly straight out of Batman is 12 miles
to the northeast. Notice that U.S. 74 is left off of the pull-through
panel. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West and U.S. 25 North at Exit 49B - U.S. 64 West - Hendersonville. The
federal highway splits into two one-way streets for a short time in
downtown Hendersonville. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West and U.S. 25 North approaching Exit 44 - U.S. 25 North/Business
U.S. 25 South - 1 mile. The business route travels through Hendersonville,
Flat Rock, and Zirconia. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

A covered orange
construction sign partially blocks this view of Exit 44 for U.S. 25 North
and Business U.S. 25 South. Fletcher is located on the Buncombe-Henderson
county line three miles to the north. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and
U.S. 74 West

Mileage sign on
Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 West just north of U.S. 25. Interstate 40, which
once marked the western terminus of Interstate 26, is 12 miles ahead.
Downtown Asheville is 17 miles away. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exit 40 - North Carolina 280 - 2 miles. The state
highway begins at U.S. 64 and U.S. 276 northeast of Brevard and extends
northeast to U.S. 25 two miles east of Interstate 26. (Photo taken
7/7/05)

The only rest area on
Interstate 26 in North Carolina is near mile marker 41, one mile ahead of
this sign. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at the final rest area on the westbound interstate, which will
actually travel north, and even a bit eastward, for its journey through
Asheville, Johnson City, and Kingsport. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 40 - North Carolina 280 - Asheville Regional
Airport/Arden. Arden is the site of the state highway's eastern terminus,
while a short drive westward on North Carolina 280 takes one to the
Asheville Regional
Airport. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exit 37 - North Carolina 146 - 2 miles. North Carolina
146 is a short 3.5 mile state highway between North Carolina 191 in Avery
Creek and U.S. 25 in Skyland. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 37 - North Carolina 146 - Skyland/Long Shoals Road. The
rain began falling after this picture, and many of the following pictures
were taken during this trip through the remnants of what was Tropical
Storm Cindy. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

A rainy view from
Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 westbound as the highways prepare to travel
underneath the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway rises very highly above the
freeway here. Use Exit 33 (North Carolina 191) south to the parkway.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 33 - North Carolina 191 - To Blue Ridge Parkway. North
Carolina 191 and Interstate 26 will meet again just after the Interstate
40 junction. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West approaching Exits 31A-B - Interstate 40/Interstate 240 - 1/2 mile.
Interstate 240 is a half-loop that travels near the center of Asheville.
Interstate 40 stays mainly to the south. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Use the right lane for
Exit 31A (Interstate 40 East) and to continue on Interstate 26 West and
Interstate 240 East. Use the left lane for Exit 31B to Interstate 40 and
U.S. 74 West. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Rainy picture of
Interstate 26 and U.S. 74 West at Exit 31A - Interstate 40 East - Hickory.
The city known for quality furniture is 80 miles to the east. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
74 West at Exit 31B - Interstate 40 and U.S. 74 West - Canton/Knoxville.
Canton, the last city along Interstate 40 before entering Tennessee, is 16
miles to the west. Knoxville, Tennessee, is a 110 mile drive from the
western terminus of Interstate 240 and the former western terminus of
Interstate 26. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and Interstate 240 East

Interstate 240 East
assurance shield as the Billy Graham Freeway begins. Interstate 240 is
9.14 miles long. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

A very temporary
reprieve from the rain allowed us to get two good pictures. This shows
Interstate 26 West and Interstate 240 East one mile west of Exit 1B, North
Carolina 191, Brevard Road. North Carolina 191 begins just to the north at
Business U.S. 19/Business U.S. 23 and heads southward to Business U.S. 25
in Hendersonville. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
Interstate 240 East approaching Exit 1B - North Carolina 191 - 1/2 mile.
This was the last good picture we would get for a bit as the rain began
falling again very quickly after shooting this picture. (Photo taken
7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
Interstate 240 East approaching Exit 2 - Business U.S. 19/Business U.S. 23
- 1/2 mile. Haywood Road continues east for less than one mile before
turning northward toward downtown Asheville. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
Interstate 240 East approaching Exit 2 - Business U.S. 19/Business U.S. 23
- 1/4 mile. Both business routes end at Interstate 26 and Interstate 240.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

It can barely be seen
here, but a sign to the right indicates that Exit 4A is used to continue
on Interstate 26. Interstate 26 between Mars Hill and Asheville is not
signed as an official interstate yet because the roadway is below
interstate standards. The sharp one-lane ramp that is Exit 4A does not
help either. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
Interstate 240 East at Exit 3A - U.S. 19/U.S. 23 South. The two highways
duplex from Lake Junaluska to Mars Hill. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West, Interstate 240 East, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North

Future Interstate 26 and
U.S. 70 West and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North assurance shields on the tight
one-lane ramp from Interstate 240 East. This is scheduled to be bypassed
after a new alignment of Interstate 240 in this area is completed.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Hill Street. The exit is not
given a number, but would be around Exit 27. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 25 - North
Carolina 251. Due to the SUV in the right lane, we can not tell how far it
is from this sign to the exit. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 25 - North Carolina 251.
The University of North Carolina-Asheville is a short drive to the east
from here. North Carolina 251 begins here and skirts the eastern shore of
the French Broad River to U.S. 25 and U.S. 70 near Marshall. Heading in
the opposite direction, motorists will enter Broadway and will head
straight for downtown Asheville. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 24 - Elk Mountain
Road - 1/2 mile. Elk Mountain Road is a short east-west street from North
Carolina 251 to Elkwood Avenue. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 24 - Elk Mountain Road. The
town of
Woodfin is just to the west and is home to 3,250 residents. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 23 - U.S. 25 South
- 1/2 mile. U.S. 25 is only marked once from this direction with assurance
shields at the interchange. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 23 - U.S. 25 South -
Woodfin/North Asheville/Merriman Avenue. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S. 70 West, and U.S. 19, U.S. 23, and U.S. 25 North

Future Interstate 26
West, U.S. 70 West, U.S. 19 North, U.S. 23 North, and U.S. 25 North
assurance shields just north of Exit 23. This "quinplex" is about four
miles long. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West and U.S. 19, U.S. 23, and U.S. 25 North approaching Exit 21 - New
Stock Road - 1 mile. New Stock Road heads west from Weaverville Road
(Business U.S. 19) and turns to the north after intersecting Interstate
26. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West and U.S. 19, U.S. 23, and U.S. 25 North approaching Exit 18 -
Monticello Road - 1 1/4 miles. This sign is located prior to the Exit
19A-B interchange (U.S. 25 North/U.S. 70 West). Monticello Road is a 3.7
mile east-west street from North Carolina 251 to Main Street in north
Weaverville. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Use Exit 19A (U.S. 25
North/U.S. 70 West) to Hot Springs. U.S. 70 also eventually leads to Hot
Springs, Arkansas, but this sign refers to the North Carolina town of 639
that is 27 miles to the northwest. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19, U.S. 23, and U.S. 25 North at Exit 19B - Weaver
Boulevard. The town of
Weaverville
(pop. 2,455) is just to the east. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 and U.S.
70 West, and U.S. 19, U.S. 23, and U.S. 25 North at Exit 19A - U.S. 25
North/U.S. 70 West - Marshall. The town is 11 miles to the northwest.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West, and U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 17 - Flat Creek. The rain held off for a
little bit through far northern Buncombe County and far southern Madison
County. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

This beautiful mountain
view is found during mile marker 16. We are still officially on Future
Interstate 26. The future moniker is dropped after Exit 9 (U.S. 19/U.S. 23
North). (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 15 - North Carolina 197 - Jupiter/Barnardsville.
The state highway is made up of 57.4 miles full of many curves and narrow
corridors. In fact, parts of the highway remain unpaved. (Photo taken
7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 13 - Forks of Ivy. The community is
located on the Madison-Buncombe county line. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 11 - North Carolina 213 - 1 3/4
miles. North Carolina 213 is 14.5 miles long and spends about half of it
triplexed with U.S. 25 and U.S. 70. The state highway ends near the town
of Walnut during this triplex. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 11 - North Carolina 213 - 1
mile. Mars Hill is just one mile to the west. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Mars Hill College, a
Southern Baptist institution, is located in the town. Mars Hill is the
largest city in Madison County with a population of 1,735, and is also
home to the Southern
Appalachian Repertory Theater. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 11 - North Carolina 213 - Mars
Hill/Marshall. The seat of Madison County, Marshall is 11 miles to the
west. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North approaching Exit 9 - U.S. 19/U.S. 23 North - 1/2
mile. U.S. 23 is not signed from here, but according to the 2005 official
North Carolina state map, U.S. 23 stays to the east of the interstate
between exits 3 and 9. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 19 and U.S. 23 North at Exit 9 - U.S. 19/U.S. 23 North -
Burnsville/Spruce Pine. The two highways split just to the east. U.S. 19
heads due east and splits into two routes, U.S. 19E and U.S. 19W, in 11
miles. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West

Interstate 26 West runs
solo for the first time since Columbus (Exit 67) as the scenic views
continue. Unfortunately for us, the rain turned on full blast soon after
this picture was taken. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West is
the Appalachian Highway. The future tabs have now disappeared as we are
now really on Interstate 26. But most motorists likely don't know the
difference between Interstate 26 and Future Interstate 26, or don't care.
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West
approaching a scenic overlook, one-half mile. If the skies were a bit
clearer on this day, we probably would have stopped. Maybe next time...
(Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West at
the scenic overlook. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

This sign warns of the
possibility of low visibility for the next ten miles. It was not flashing
on this day, but should have been. Apparently this warning system is in
place to track fog in the area, not blinding rain. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

As three lanes of
Interstate 26 westbound continue, no trucks with 3 axles or more are
allowed in the left lane, as seen here. (Photo taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West
approaching Exit 3 - U.S. 23 South - 1 mile. The exit is signed as "TO
U.S. 23" but according to the maps, is actually U.S. 23 South. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)

Interstate 26 West and
U.S. 23 North as they prepare to enter the state of Tennessee. The right
lane suddenly ends at a truck checkpoint ahead, which made it a good thing
that I was in the middle lane! As can be seen here, the rain was coming
down very hard at this point. One day we hope to go back and drive
Interstate 26 through North Carolina and Tennessee again; it is too scenic
to be seen only once during the remnants of a tropical storm. (Photo
taken 7/7/05)